POLICE officers have warned shoppers to be vigilant after two purses were stolen within an hour at a retail complex.

West Mercia Police believe the purses were taken from ladies' handbags while they were shopping.

The thefts happened in Malvern Shopping Park between 2pm and 3pm on Thursday, November 9.

One of the purses was taken from Marks & Spencer and contained a bank card, £180 and a driving licence.

The other purse was inside a bag on a trolley in Morrison's and was stolen at about 2.40pm.

PC Susan Parr is now advising people to keep a close eye on their belongings in the run-up to Christmas.

She said: "As shops and town centres become busier, shoppers should be mindful of keeping their personal belongings safe, especially in crowded places.

"Officers have been conducting - and will continue to conduct - foot patrols in Great Malvern town centre, in order to be accessible to the public and to provide reassurance during this festive period.

"We would always encourage members of the public to be vigilant and advise them to never leave their handbags, phones or other valuable items unattended even for a few seconds."

West Mercia Police has advised shoppers that pickpockets and handbag thieves often work in pairs and use distraction techniques.

Thieves also stole a Royal British Legion collection box from Great Malvern Priory at around 2pm on Sunday, November 5.

Anne Rich, church manager, said: "Obviously we were devastated by the situation. It was chained to the radiator.

"This time of year there's a lot of pressure on people. You just don't know what's going on in someone's life.

"Part of the Christian ethos is to forgive. If you go back to the bible Jesus died for us as sinners, we all have our foibles.

"We have a building that is vulnerable and we want to keep our doors open. Even for those that have transgressed."

Ms Rich said the box had only been in place for a few hours before it was stolen.

Police officers are urging anyone with information about the purse thefts to ring 101 quoting incident number 512s of November 9, while those who witnessed the collection box theft can quote 368s of November 5.

For crime prevention advice visit www.westmercia.police.uk/crime-and-safety.

Police tips to avoid becoming a pickpocketing victim:

-Wear your bag across your body, so that it opens on the side facing you.

-In winter, wear your coat over your bag to hide it - you're any easy target if you leave your bag facing backwards over your shoulder or carry it over one shoulder.

-Never leave your bag unattended in a shopping trolley or basket or on the back of a pushchair - always keep it with you.

-Avoid carrying valuables in the outside pockets of rucksacks -If you use a wheelchair or motorised scooter, keep your valuables in front of you, rather than hanging them on the back of the chair where thieves can dip into them.

-Keep your bag or briefcase where you can see it or feel it - on your lap or touching your feet, not hung on the back of your chair when you're eating or having a drink.

-Keep your keys in a different pocket from anything that has your address on it.

-Don't keep the PIN for your cash card with you.

-Keep the emergency number to cancel your credit cards with you so that you can phone immediately if you have to.